Ariana Clarice Richards is an American actress and professional painter. She is best known for her roles as Mindy Sterngood in Tremors, Lex Murphy in the film Jurassic Park, and as Carol Wetherby in the film Prancer. Richards was born in Healdsburg, California, the daughter of Darielle , a public relations representative and film producer, and Gary Richards. Her sister, Bethany, is also an actress. Richards is of Irish and Italian descent, and is a descendant of Renaissance painter Carlo Crivelli and Irish boxer John L. Sullivan. Richards graduated from Skidmore College, earning a degree in... Fine Art and Drama, with distinction. She continued with instruction at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and also attended Western Oregon University. Richards made her acting debut in 1987's Into the Homeland, a made-for-cable release that starred Powers Boothe. Her most notable appearance was as Lex Murphy in the first Jurassic Park film; she reprised the role very briefly in the sequel The Lost World: Jurassic Park.
more